Where Did the Easter Bunny Come From?

Easter is an adapted holiday that formed out of the themes from two pre-Christian pagan traditions. During the spring season, the Pagans would place colored eggs and seeds as symbols of new life and as a sacrifice on their altars to honor the Goddess Ostara. Ostara also had a bird-turned-rabbit that would lay colorful eggs. But it was the Germans who converted the pagan rabbit image into Oschter Haws, a rabbit that was believed to have the ability to lay colored eggs that were given as gifts for good children.

The Easter bunny may date back to early myths. Anglo-Saxon legend says that for the vernal equinox, the Goddess Ostara transformed her pet bird into a rabbit. The bird-turned-rabbit would then lay colorful eggs in order to entertain the children.

In Northern Europe, the goddess of fertility before the coming of the Christians was Eostre. Her companion was a rabbit and, after some incantation, she turned the rabbit into the constellation of Lepus the Hare. Every year after that Eostre allowed Lepus to return to earth and to have the ability to lay eggs. The word “Eostre” was later on modified to the more familiar word, “Easter.”

Spread of Christianity Causes Images to Evolve

As Christianity spread all over the world, it was common practice for missionaries to share their beliefs by incorporating pagan principles and rituals within the Christian context. In doing so, pagan festivals were turned into Christian holidays.

The Eostre festival was celebrated around the same time the Christians would commemorate the Resurrection of Christ; and so, the two celebrations merged into one. With the synergizing that was taking place amongst cultures, it was only natural that the pagans would incorporate the images of the hare and eggs into their new found faith.

Later on, the hare would evolve into the modern symbol of the rabbit, and this partially explains where the Easter bunny came from. The rabbit eventually took part in the Christian celebration. There is no exact time period given but it was first mentioned in around the 1600s through German writings. It was the Germans who converted the pagan rabbit image into Oschter Haws, which was a rabbit that was believed to have the ability to lay colored eggs that were given as gifts for good children.

Easter Bunny and His Eggs

So why was it believed that bunnies could lay eggs? A bird called Lapwing can make a nest at the ground which looks exactly like a hare's nest, which is called a "form." As the birds abandoned their nests to avoid their predators, the locals would find these orphaned eggs in what people thought were hare forms. This gave them the belief that hares could lay eggs during springtime.

Eventually, this tradition found its way to the U.S. through the Dutch settlers, but instead of creating nests for Easter, the settlers would create baskets in which to lay the eggs. This practice continues up to the present time.

Easter Tradition of Colored Eggs

During the 18th century, German chocolate makers would create rabbit-shaped candy for the Easter holiday. This tradition reached many countries across the world, including the U.S. as did several other traditions.

For example, elements of the ancient pagan traditions can be seen during Easter when the Easter bunny leaves colored eggs and candy for children to find and collect come Easter Sunday. Painted eggs are said to represent the beautiful colors of spring and dawn.

People have embraced these symbols so much that, despite being steadfast to their own faith’s teachings, they still continue the old ways and traditions. Early church fathers understood and accepted this and were very open to combining the old ways to newer traditions. The eggs have also become symbols of new life in honor of the Resurrection of Jesus, so the traditions have merged and become one.

Importance of the Rabbit

Rabbits are central themes in many of these early stories. Rabbits, because of their fertility, have always been associated with springtime. During the spring, the earth is considered to be waking up and every element of nature is growing and laying their offspring. Rabbits exude the spirit of birth and fertility. They can even conceive despite being pregnant already.

So the Easter Bunny tradition really hasn't changed much in over four centuries, and it is quite exciting and meaningful to know that some of the things we do during Easter Sunday go way back in the ancient times.